Abramoff offered jobs and other favors to well-placed congressional staffers and executive branch officials. He pushed his own associates for government positions, from which they, too, could help him.

Abramoff's lobbying team was made up of Republicans and a few Democrats, most of whom he had wined and dined when they were aides to powerful members of Congress. They signed on for the camaraderie, the paycheck, the excitement.

"Everybody lost their minds," recalled a former congressional staffer who lobbied with Abramoff at Preston Gates. "Jack was cutting deals all over town. Staffers lost their loyalty to members -- they were loyal to money."

The politicos responses are quite informative too:

A friend of two decades, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), defended Abramoff: "I think he's been dealt a bad hand and the worst, rawest deal I've ever seen in my life. Words like bribery are being used to describe things that happened every day in Washington and are not bribes."

Dozens of lawmakers -- who were showered with trips, sports and concert tickets, drinks and dinners -- are returning campaign contributions from Abramoff and his clients and calling him a fraud and a crook.

Former Republican congressman Mickey Edwards (Okla.), usually a defender of lobbying and Congress, said there have always been members who get caught "stuffing money in their pants." But he said this is different -- a "disgusting" and disturbingly broad scandal driven by lobbyists whose attitude seemed to be "government to the highest bidder."

And my fave:

Burns, one of half a dozen legislators under scrutiny by the federal Abramoff task force, returned $150,000 in campaign contributions this month.

"This Abramoff guy is a bad guy," Burns told a Montana television station. "I hope he goes to jail and we never see him again. I wish he'd never been born, to be right honest with you."

Yeah... right.

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ceetee

December 29, 2005, 07:34 PM

This is the same Abramoff who is under indictment (with a pal) for forging financial records in order to qualify for a loan so they could buy a gambling cruise ship company (SunCruz Casinos).

Guess what casino I'm NOT likely to take my gambling business to in the future...

telewinz

December 29, 2005, 07:51 PM

Ney(R) of Ohio appears to be on the chopping block. Already democrats feel he is vulnerable and are lining up to oppose Ney's re-election. I'll not voted for him again. Recently he supported a WV(!) businessman by trying to secure federal funds to tear-down that WV businessman's PRIVATELY owned bridge. That same (WV!) businessman had made a rather large contribution to Ney's re-election fund. No connection I'm sure:evil:

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